We Are Many. We Are Everywhere.

A great deal of the conversation about publishing and diversity is grounded in the idea that there simply aren’t many writers of color. One of the most frequent derailments during any conversation about this topic is the belief that because of historical, institutional racism and the socioeconomic consequences thereof, there simply aren’t as many writers of color. It’s also popular to create an exhausting statistical frenzy by talking about data collection and submission ratios and the like. These are comforting explanations. If we can blame history and institutional racism, if we can blame math, we don’t have to accept responsibility for reading narrowly.

Earlier this summer, I put out a call for names of writers of color so there might be a resource to help people read and publish more diversely. This list was not designed to pigeonhole writers or suggest that they should be identified by race or ethnicity. These are writers who also happen to be people of color. This is not a token list of writers to go to when you need someone to write about race—these writers write about a wide range of subjects. Some of these writers are familiar and others are up and coming. I’ve listed the writers in alphabetical order by first name with genre and online presence information provided by the individuals who put the names forth. As such, this information is incomplete but it is a start, a compass point to orient you.

There are a great many writers who are not on this list. That is the point of all this. You cannot possibly list every writer of color working today. We are many. We are everywhere. The world of letters is far more diverse than the publishing climate would lead us to believe. You only need to open your eyes and open your mind. I challenge everyone to pick five (or more) writers from this list with whom you are not familiar, look up their work, see what these writers are about.

Roxane Gay's writing appears or is forthcoming in Best American Short Stories 2012, New Stories From the Midwest 2011 and 2012, Best Sex Writing 2012, NOON, Salon, Indiana Review, Ninth Letter, Brevity, and many others. She is the co-editor of PANK, and an HTMLGIANT contributor. She is also the author of Ayiti. You can find her online at http://www.roxanegay.com.
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I really appreciate this article. I agree that it’s important for all of us to read widely but it’s equally important that editors and publishers (especially in the mainstream outlets) stretch themselves and look beyond the borders of what they are used to. After all, that is largely how consumers come to know books and writers.

Cartoonists/graphic storytellers James McShane (full disclosure: we’re married), Rina Ayuyang (not married to her), and Hellen Jo! (Not married to her either.)

You got a lot of my favorites, though, Roxane, as well as many names I didn’t know before. This is a list I’ll be happily grazing, probably for years to come, as well as sharing it with others. Thank you for compiling it.

Thing is, Roxane, I’ve gotta push back against reading someone or seeking someone just because they are ethnic as opposed to being a quality writer. That’s just me, but that’s the problem I got with some of your previous posts (on “Privilege” and on Vida counts for ethnicities, the former seemed to resent Aff. Act., the other called for Aff. Act. by ascribing “blame”).

Thing is, most of us already seek out ethnic writing, or so I’d like to think, it’s the responsibility of a reader curious about the world. I think the relative lack of ethnic writers in the US is similar to the dearth of doctors, lawyers, etc., which are disproportionate due to privileges and benefits accrued due to a history of racist principles. This is troubling, but I think the problem runs deep and I am more cynical as to whether solutions exist.

Furthermore, I don’t think I’m the only one here familiar with many of these writers. Some of these listed are as boring as white writers.

Just adding some thoughts, but writing is a human passion, good writing stands out, regardless.

Caleb, I am not suggesting people read writers because they are ethnic. I believe that reading from a culturally diverse group of writers will make someone better read, more culturally aware, and a happier reader. So yes, people need to read more than just white writers. As people work through this list, they can find writers they like and writers they don’t like. But people consistently say there are no writers of color. This is a list to help those people who say that.

thanks for this post, and this additional comment: “I believe that reading from a culturally diverse group of writers will make someone better read, more culturally aware, and a happier reader. So yes, people need to read more than just white writers.”

here’s a simple yet surprising task i joined this year: to read a book from each continent. which after a couple of books, made me sit down and look at world geographics and world population, and i arrived at this note:
“so looking at the world from this angle, if you want to read around the world in 7 books, you actually would have to go and look for 4 books from Asia and 1 book from Africa – and then for 2 anthologies that cover the rest of the world in their pages.”

this of course isn’t directly about ethnicity of authors, and of course, people in Asia will read more books from Asia etc, but still it gives a perspective that usually isn’t adressed in book canons or “best book / most important book of the year” lists.

Thanks for this great article. Add to the publications list the only journal of Arab American literature, “Mizna: Prose, Poetry, and Art Exploring Arab America.” Many of the Arab and Arab American authors listed here and in the comments have been published in Mizna, as well as many many others over our 13 years of issues. Check us out at http://mizna.org

Hi Roxane,
I don’t know a single writer or staff member of an American literary press who has ever come close to saying “there aren’t many writers of color.” I *do* know a number of writers of color who would rather have their work judged for its own sake. I wonder if any of them are none too pleased to be included on this list.

Writers should read the work of our peers and our forbears, regardless of color, regardless of gender, regardless of sexual orientation, and regardless of all the many other elements that make each of us unique.

Leslie, I am not even remotely suggesting the writers here should be judged on anything but their work, and frankly, I make that clear. While you may have never heard such complaints, the lament that there are few writers of color is a constant refrain. This list rebuts that claim, no more, no less.

Thank you for answering my question “to what end?” I didn’t think you were suggesting that the writers you list should be judged on anything but their work. You’re one of the best writers and subtlest thinkers around. Still, my experience in the literary world, and this includes years editing Drunken Boat, teaching at the college level, giving readings, etc, etc. Could this be because I’m not a person of color? It may be. And if this is the case, I’d be quite angry.

My wondering about how some of these listed writers might feel about their inclusion in the list stands. But I have no dog in that fight.

Thank you, Roxanne, for compiling this list. I can’t imagine how long it took, even/especially with your earlier call for names. Thank you, too, to those who continue to add to the list. It’s always easier to add an opinion than make a stand, and it’s always even easier to say nothing at all. Thank you for taking the time.

p.s. Is there anything we can do to help you, Roxanne? You put a call out for us to introduce ourselves to five author from the list we haven’t read. Could we find a way to work together, commenters, to break down the list into genre’s to make it easier to find particular interests? Or host a blog for people to respond to the new books? Now that you have helped us, Roxanne, what can we do in return?

You have said so much to uplift people of color and I admire your zeal. I suppose that is why I have only been published in free papers and a little on line. And I have the nerve to be a Black man that has traveled through twenty different religions and got a degree in Psychology from The George Washington University in WDC and then got a license in Social Work without ever even studying Social Work. The exam was 5 hours long and I took 1 and a half hours and passed with a 79/100. But I write for myself so I can never lose. I am my biggest fan and read everybody’s else’s works too. Now because of your list I have even more bonified people of color to read and I am overjoyed. You are quite the Human Being-A god on Earth shining the light amongst us mortals letting us know that we too are gods. We are stepping up and dialoging, blogging, emailing, websiting, self-publishing and sending love around the world. We are Love itself. We are the modern day Griots (story tellers). I appreciate and thank you so much. Call me anytime or email me. I am so happy to know of you. Super woman of
The Gods of Writing Inclusive Reality, thou art welcome the gift we have been looking for and now I know will achieve our goals. Peace. Matthew Daniel Jackson-The Ultimate Loving Writer with the skill set to make the mind wake up and reach for more and enjoy this Earthly Life as we can achieve as We Are and WE will always have Ourselves and that is all we require to excell. Peace to you, and thank you so much. (301)332-8464 or infinitycrow@yahoo.com

Kristina, this did take a long time but it was absolutely worth it. What can you do to help? Read. The best thing you can do is read and support publishers who have diverse catalogs and support literary magazines with diverse contributors and if you’re a blogger or critic, write about a diverse group of writers, thinking of diversity as more than just race or class or sexuality or gender in isolation but as something that encompasses a wide range of human experience.

This list is encouraging! I am reading my way across America, reading 3 books set in each state from men, women, and non-Caucasian authors. I wrote a blog post today about how much trouble I’m having finding ethnic authors who are native to and have written about their state, and I was getting discouraged. A reader linked to this post in the comments of my blog entry and I’m thrilled to see such a long list of authors of color. Thank you!

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